A slice of happiness
A Class 11 student, Veena would not have looked beyond the confines of her house in the Bawana village till recently, but the 16-year-old not only walked but even danced on the ramp at the annual function of the Navjyoti India Foundation held at the Select Citywalk Mall recently.
The NGO works in her village for the betterment of the underprivileged kids. Veena, along with some other underprivileged kids from the village participating in the programme, worked hard on the moves for almost 10 days. Veena’s elder sister, Meena, who accompanied her for the event, says that she was glad to see the change in her sister in such a short time. “I was pleasantly surprised to see her walk the ramp so confidently. And not only her, even the other kids were amazing,” says Meena, who runs a beauty parlour and wishes that more support like this comes to her village.
“It doesn’t only help us grow, but also gives us an opportunity to look forward in life,” she adds. Meena says that it’s with such a support that she has been able to be financially independent in life.
The event, which was to bolster the confidence of the kids of many unprivileged families, also gave the participating kids a chance to sneak a peak into the urban setting.
Five kids from the Naya Gaon project (under which the NGO provides education to the kids of rural areas) visited a mall.
Gini, a 10-year-old and a Class 5 student, says that she has never seen a mall, neither did she ever think that she would walk the ramp. “But I’m happy now. The teachers not only taught us how to walk on ramp but also told us how to talk to people in the city. We know a lot now,” she smiles.
Another group of kids who participated were the offsprings of those who are spending their life in Tihar Jail. Hesitant to talk initially, Rahul, a seven-year-old among them, says that he wants to do something good and big in his life.
Dr Kiran Bedi, who has been running the Foundation for more than two decades now, says that the NGO works with these kids with the belief that they will change the future of the country.
“Maa-baap se toh galti ho gayee par bachchon ko bachpan se sikhay ja raha hai sahi raaste par chalna,” she said as the kids of Tihar inmates completed their stint on the ramp.
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